International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD)

Basic facts about the ICERD
Stages of monitoring states’ obligation with the ICERD Guidance for NGO submissions on the ICERD
Useful guides & links

Basic facts about the ICERD

• The ICERD is monitored by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD)
• States must submit reports every two years (in reality, however, most reports are not submitted according to this time schedule)
• Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination: Introduction
• The UK’s last submission to UN CERD was in 2016

Stages of monitoring states’ obligations with the ICERD

1. Preparation and submission of the report by the state party
2. Designation of country rapporteurs and issuance of the list of themes by CERD
3. Consideration of the report by CERD
4. Issuance of Concluding Observations by CERD
5. Implementation of CERD’s Concluding Observations / Recommendations by the State (Follow-up)

Guidance for Civil Society Actors for submission on the ICERD

• You can
  • Participate in the preparation of the State report (need to contact the government authority in charge for this)
  • Provide information for the list of themes.
  • Prepare and submit an alternative report.
  • Submit your own answers to the list of themes.
  • Civil society actors can also submit additional information to the Committee when monitoring the government’s implementation (for follow-up)

• Structure and Content
  • Submission should be submitted in English, French or Spanish (English is preferred)
  • Information submitted should be concise and accurate to increase reliability and objectivity
  • Cross-referencing is encouraged
  • Clear reference to the concrete articles of ICERD should be made
  • For the alternative report:
    • No page or word limit but advised to be as concise as possible
    • Summary page is recommended
    • Include: title page with name of organisation(s) and a table of contents. for more details on structuring the report look at the Guide for Civil Society Actors on CERD

• Deadlines:
  • Generally civil society can submit information to CERD at any time
  • However, to be more effective, inputs should be provided in a targeted manner at each phase of the cycle
  • The UK’s state party report for the next reporting cycle is yet to be confirmed
    
  • List of themes:
    • Usually published 4-6 weeks prior to the relevant session
    • It is recommended that information specifically for the list of themes is submitted to the Secretariat as soon as possible (must clearly indicate that the input is for the list of themes)
      
  • Submission of an alternative report:
    • Suggested to submit this after the submission of the relevant state report, and before it is considered by CERD
    • Advised to be submitted two weeks before the relevant session at the very latest
    • An electronic version (by email) and 24 hard copies should be submitted to the secretariat

• How to submit documents
  • Secretariat of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD)
    UNOG-OHCHR
    8-14 Avenue de la Paix, CH- 1211
    Geneva, Switzerland
    E-mail: cerd@ohchr.org

Useful guides & links

• Concluding observations on the combined twenty-first to twenty-third periodic reports of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (October 2016).
• Previous state party’s report was submitted on the 26/03/2015.
• UK NGOs’ Official Alternative Report (June 2016)
• A Guide for Civil Society Actors on CERD.
• Follow-up Information on the CERD recommendations – Template for Civil Society Actors.
• Basic Information on the ICERD by the Equality and human Rights Commission.
• Information on ICERD – Text of the Convention.
• Simple guide to the UN treaty Bodies.
• A handbook for civil society by the United Nations High Commissioner for human rights.